August 12th 2010

Not Just In Remembrance

“And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.’”Luke 22:19-20 (NKJV)

In the spring we always in remembrance do what this scripture says; but what about the rest of the year—should we partake the bread and wine more often than once a year and if so, why?

We read in 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.” The bread and wine are symbols that proclaim the fact that we belong to Christ and that the Spirit of Christ dwells in us. Our relationship, or communion, with God depends on having the Spirit of Christ in us. The bread and wine will not by themselves give us that relationship. (Romans 8:9)

These scriptures tell us why we should take the bread and wine but not how often. 1 Corinthians 11:26 implies that we should take it more often than once a year and why: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”

Taking the bread and wine is not ‘just about us and what Jesus has done for us’—it is not just ‘in-reach’. It is all about Christ—it is ‘out-reach’, or part of proclaiming to the world who Christ is and what He has done, not just for us but the whole of mankind. Whenever we chose to partake of the bread and wine we are proclaiming to everyone what God in His great love for us sinners was prepared to do to free us from the death penalty (Hebrews 2:14-15), and to make it possible for us to have eternal life in His coming kingdom. As it says in Hebrews 2:14-15, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

This is the reason why we take bread and wine, participating in communion with Christ, more than just once a year—to proclaim to the world who Christ is and what He has done for everyone.

Prayer
Dear Father, as we take bread and wine, we stand in awe of what you did in sacrificing your Son so that we sinners could be forgiven all our sins and be given the gift of eternal life in your kingdom.
Amen